GOP Resorts to Gay Marriage & Anti-Christian Fear Mongering

In a last minute effort to support Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Florida State Senator Marco Rubio and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee are participating in anti-gay marriage robocalls for a leading organization that opposes marriage equality, America Blog reports.

The two Republican politicians are lending their support to the National Organization for Marriage, a group determined to ban same-sex marriages across the nation. In its latest effort, NOM, which has endorsed Romney, is sending the calls to voters in Maryland, Maine and Washington State -- three states that will decide to legalize gay marriage on Nov. 6, or not. Minnesota would have been the fourth state targeted by the robocalls as voters will also decide on same-sex marriage this Tuesday, but state laws prohibit such calls.

The robocalls are also being sent out in some swing states where gay marriage is not on the ballot, Think Progress points out. Voters in Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania can expect to get a call from Rubio, Huckabee and James Dobson, the co-founder of the anti-gay group Focus on the Family.

"Even in these tough economic times, people know that the stability of the family is crucial and the need to preserve the institution of marriage has never been greater," NOM's president Brian Brown said. "These calls from leaders in public life will remind voters to go to the polls, to protect marriage, and to support public officials who will do the same."

Brown added that he expects the NOM to reach 10 million voters and that the robocalls campaign is the "largest national mobilization of traditional marriage voters in history." Additionally, he said the campaign cost $500,000.

In May, Rubio, who was considered a front-runner to be Romney's running mate until he chose Paul Ryan, said President Barack Obama endorsed gay marriage for "political reasons" in order to shift focus away from the economy, according to the Miami Herald.

"He doesn't want [the economy] to be what this election is about. And so it's not just on gay marriage, I think every week he'll roll out another issue to distract from it," he said. "And so it's not just on gay marriage, I think every week he'll roll out another issue to distract from it."

’Even in these tough economic times, people know that the stability of the family is crucial and the need to preserve the institution of marriage has never been greater.’

Rubio has made it clear that he does not support marriage equality himself because of religious reasons and says the decision to legalize same-sex marriage should be left up to the states.

"I believe marriage is a unique and specific institution that is the result of thousands of years of wisdom, which concluded that the ideal - not the only way but certainly the ideal - situation to raise children to become productive and healthy humans is in a home with a father and mother married to each other," Rubio told Christianity Today. "Does that mean people who are not in that circumstance cannot be successful? Of course not. It's not a discriminatory thing. I'm not angry at anyone because of it, but I also have to be honest about what I believe marriage should be in our laws."

Huckabee, a longtime conservative, made headlines this summer when he launched Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day - a "holiday" to support the Southern fast food chain that made headlines for opposing gay marriage, EDGE noted. The event called for people around the country to visit their local Chick-fil-A to show their support for the company. Despite boycotts from the LGBT community and allies, the day was a huge success.

Romney's campaign, meanwhile, is unleashing its own set of robocalls, specifically targeting Christian voters. According to StopPoliticalCalls.org, a voter in Fairfax, Va., received one of the calls, which claims that Obama is a "threat to our religious freedom."

"Christians who are thinking about voting for Obama should remember what he said about people of faith: 'They ... cling to guns or religion.' And remember when Obama forced Christian organizations to provide insurance c overage that was contrary to their religious beliefs?" the robocall asks. "That's the real Barack Obama. That's the real threat to our religious freedom. Mitt Romney understands the importance of faith and family. That's why so many leaders of the Christian community are supporting Romney."

It seems that Republicans in Florida are also attacking a teacher-turned-politician by comparing her to a child molester, Think Progress reports.

The Committee to Protect Florida, a Republican group, sent a mailing to Florida voters that links Karen Castor Dentel, who running for the State Legislature, to Jerry Sandusky. The ad claims because Dental is a member of the Florida Education Association, a group that opposed a bill to nix tenure for public school teachers, she would "rather protect bad teachers and the union" instead of "young and impressionable students." The mailing shows an image of Sandusky, who was convicted of child molestation while he was an assistant football coach at Penn State. Dentell, an elementary school teacher, is running as a Democratic challenger for the 30th District State House of Representatives seat.

Comments

Anonymous, 2012-11-06 06:14:51

That the GOP has driven off the cliff of sanity at top speed is shown by their equating support of teachers’ tenure to support of child molestation. This is Witch Hunt frenzy, not any form of reason. Such people are not to be trusted with any form or level of governance. Salem 1590 showed why.

Anonymous, 2012-11-06 06:41:04

(Typo: that should read "Salem 1690".) Also, "Protecting marriage" isn’t accomplished by *preventing* people from getting married. By that reasoning, abortion should be marketed as "protecting birth."

Anonymous, 2012-11-06 11:49:26

Obama is the first President brave enough to support the GLBT community’s access to basic civil rights. The church and conservative hands paint a Blackface on him for defending this human-rights issue. Religious doctrine and the bigotry which goes along with it have NO place in politics. Read about how Obama and simple logic are being bamboozled at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2012/10/bamboozling-obama.html

Anonymous, 2012-11-06 13:08:02

SHAME ON YOU!!!!! Marco Robio, you as a latino minority should now first hand about prejudice!!!!!!!)

Anonymous, 2012-11-06 13:43:53

This piece of crap Rubio comes here from a third world country after eating roaches and thinks he God I hope you eat your words remember u have kids you piece of human waste!!!!!

Wayne Madden, 2012-11-06 17:55:21

It never ceases to amaze me how opponents of marriage equality and LGBT equality will say "the only issue is the economy" when someone speaks in favour of human rights. However, they are very pleased to speak against human rights and let the economy take a back seat. Here are two historical truths that people need to think about: 1. If the human rights of one group CAN be taken away, then the rights of all groups WILL be compromised. 2. During the twentieth century, there were several examples of leaders who won elections by placing a strong emphasis on economic issues at the expense of human right. They were Mussolini, Hitler, Franco, Pinochet of Chile, and Videla of Argentina. Protecting equality rights is a key issue!

Anonymous, 2012-11-07 02:48:43

Anonymous, 2012-11-07 16:15:51

And in Minnesota, the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage failed, 48%-51%, so it remains legal there. Bigots are just having no luck, sob, boo-hoo.

Anonymous, 2012-11-08 13:48:39

Correction: same-sex marriage is not yet legal in Minnesota, but at least there won’t be a constitutional ban to overcome.

Anonymous, 2012-11-12 17:23:44

What are we complaining about? Let the GOP stay their course of obsolete values and hate mongering. They are blind to the fact that America is growing beyond their comprehension. Hate and fear are their mantras. Look what it got them. Nothing. And it will continue to do so. Meagan McCain I think is the smartest republican out there because she sees this too. The old paranoid white guy who locks his car doors as they near a black guy are a stones throw from the old folks home. That tired bitter generation will die out soon enough and hopefully the dated philosophy of the GOP.

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